Leafhopper and planthopper vectors of rice viruses and their management in Nepal

Research on insect pests (including leafhoppers and planthoppers) in Nepal was initiated in 1956 by the Entomology Division and Plant Protection Units of the Department of Agriculture. More systematic work began after the establishment of a Rice Improvement Programme in 1972. Because of poor documentation and publication of research findings, it is difficult to assess the research efforts and achievements to date. The available research reports are mostly published in the proceedings of national seminars/workshops. They are used here to assess the current status of research on the occurrence and damage caused, distribution and composition, relative abundance, biology and management through chemicals. Much of past research has focused on insect surveys by light traps and sweep nets and the evaluation of insecticides and, since early 1990, some research on rice green leafhoppers (Nephotettix virescens and Nephotettix nigropictus) has begun to determine their relative abundance and population characteristics in relation to their potential as vectors of rice viruses. The challenges to pest management in general and some suggestions for future research needs are discussed, based on the present standing of agricultural research in the country     

差异显示法研究不同锌源对组织基因表达的影响

选用Avine肉用仔鸡作为试验对象 ,饲喂硫酸锌和蛋氨酸锌 2种锌源。采用银染差异显示技术进行差异基因的初步筛选。结果成功回收扩增差异条带 2 6条 ;其中加锌组 (硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组 ) 2 3条 ,3条为缺锌组所特有。在加锌组的 2 3条中 ,6条为蛋氨酸锌组所特有 ,1 3条为硫酸锌组所特有 ,其余 4条为 2组所共有。这些初步筛选得到的差异基因尚需进一步进行克隆、测序和杂交进行验证。     

草莓摘叶处理对果实芳香物质的影响

 对草莓(Fragaria×ananassa Duch．)‘哈达’品种坐果后植株进行摘叶处理，对成熟果实的糖类和芳香物质含量进行了测定分析，结果表明：不摘叶、摘1/3叶和摘2/3叶3个处理果实GC/MS分析分别检测出43、33和37种芳香物质成分。随摘叶程度加重，芳香物质成分中酯类的相对含量呈下降趋势，而醛类的相对含量呈上升的趋势；2，5-二甲基-4-甲氧基-3(2H)-呋喃酮的相对含量明显降低；果糖和总糖含量显著降低。     

Effect of insulin on the secretion of VEGF and its receptor in serum-free cultured bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells

AIM: This study was designed to investigate the secretion of VEGF and its receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein by cultured bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells treated with various insulin concentrations. METHODS: Endothelial cells was isolated from bovine thoracic aorta, and cultured in serum-free medium, then incubated with different insulin concentrations (30 mU/L, 300 mU/L, 3 000 mU/L). The level of VEGF and its receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein were detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: As compared with no insulin group, the expression of VEGF protein in low insulin concentration (30 mU/L and 300 mU/L) groups were significantly increased (P＜0.01). The expression of VEGF protein in high insulin concentration (3 000 mU/L) group was significantly decreased (P＜0.05). Howerer, no difference of the expression of VEGF receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein among all groups (P＞0.05) was observed. CONCLUSION: Low concentration insulin up-regulates the VEGF protein expression while high concentration insulin down-regulates the VEGF protein expression in bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells, but insulin had no directly effect on the VEGF receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein expression in bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells.     

不同锌源对断奶小鼠生长及机体抗氧化能力的影响

选用断奶小鼠72只作为研究对象,随机分为3组(对照组,硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组),每组设4个重复。测定体重、组织锌含量及相关生理生化指标,以研究硫酸锌、蛋氨酸锌2种不同锌供给形式对机体的生长效应及抗氧化能力的影响。结果表明,硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组均能不同程度地提高小鼠体重,蛋氨酸锌组小鼠体重显著高于对照组与硫酸锌组(P<0.05)。饲粮中添加硫酸锌可提高小鼠肝脏和血清中的锌含量(P>0.05);蛋氨酸锌组小鼠肝脏和血清锌含量高于对照组(P<0.05)及硫酸锌组(P>0.05)。2种锌源均显著提高碱性磷酸酶(AKP)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSHPx)活性(P<0.05),不同锌源间无明显差异(P>0.05)。添加不同的锌源不同程度地提高总抗氧化能力(TAOC)、总SOD(TSOD)、铜锌超氧化物歧化酶(CuZnSOD)活性(P<0.05),蛋氨酸锌组TAOC、TSOD显著高于硫酸锌组(P<0.05)。添加锌显著降低NO含量(P<0.05),蛋氨酸锌效果显著强于硫酸锌(P<0.05);一氧化氮合酶(NOS)活性表现出与NO相反的趋势(P>0.05)。     

不同锌源对断奶仔猪免疫和抗氧化作用的影响

选用 1 4 4头断奶仔猪 ,随机分成 4组 :一组为对照 ,饲喂添加氧化锌 1 0 0 mg/kg的日粮 ,另 3组分别饲喂添加氧化锌 30 0 0 m g/kg、蛋氨酸锌 1 0 0 m g/kg和纳米氧化锌 30 0 m g/kg的日粮 ,进行为期 5 2 d的饲养试验 ,以研究不同锌源对断奶仔猪消化和免疫功能的影响。结果表明 :高剂量氧化锌可提高血清中 Ig A的含量 5 .0 7%(P<0 .0 5 ) ,高剂量氧化锌和纳米氧化锌可使血清中免疫球蛋白 Ig M含量分别提高 2 .97%(P<0 .0 5 )和 5 .6 7%(P<0 .0 1 ) ;蛋氨酸锌可使血清中SOD活性比对照组提高 1 .36倍 (P<0 .0 1 ) ,高剂量氧化锌和蛋氨酸锌可分别使肝脏中 SOD活性提高 2 8.2 0 %(P<0 .0 5 )和 2 9.33%(P<0 .0 5 ) ;高剂量氧化锌、蛋氨酸锌和纳米氧化锌均可提高肝脏组织中金属硫蛋白 (MT)含量     

UHPLC-Q/TOF MS结合HPLC-DAD定性和定量分析硫酸黏菌素可溶性粉中的未知添加物

定性和定量分析一批兽药硫酸黏菌素可溶性粉中的未知添加物。照《中国兽药典》2010年版一部对该批检品用微生物检定法进行含量测定时,发现该样品的抑菌圈为虚圈,用薄层色谱鉴别该样品,未显示与标准品溶液一致的主斑点,怀疑该样品中有处方外非法添加物。采用超高效液相色谱-四级杆-飞行时间质谱(UHPLC-Q/TOF MS)对该样品进行筛查,发现疑似添加物,并使用液相色谱-二极管阵列检测(HPLC-DAD)法进行了双重确证和含量测定。该样品中非法添加物确证为磺胺氯达嗪和甲氧苄啶,添加量分别为58.5 mg/g和13.4 mg/g。本研究通过建立筛查方法为监管部门提供技术支撑,通过分析非法添加物的可能原因为打击兽药处方外非法添加提供了思路。     

Based serum metabolomics analysis reveals simultaneous interconnecting changes during chicken embryonic development

Metabolic disorder is a major health problem and is associated with a number of metabolic diseases. Due to native hyperglycaemia and resistance to exogenous insulin, chickens as a model had used in the studies of adipose tissue biology, metabolism and obesity. But no detailed information is available about the comprehensive changes of serum metabolites at different stages of chicken embryonic development. This study employed LC/MS‐QTOF to determine the changes of major functional metabolites at incubation day 14 (E14d), 19 (E19d) and hatching day 1 (H1d), and the associated pathways of differential metabolites during chicken embryonic development were analysed using Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis method. Results showed that 39 metabolites were significantly changed from E14d to E19d and 68 metabolites were significantly altered from E19d to H1d in chicken embryos. Protein synthesis was promoted by increasing the concentrations of L‐glutamine and threonine, and gonadal development was promoted through increasing oestrone content from E14d to E19d in chicken embryos, which indicated that serum glutamine, threonine and oestrone contents may be considered as the candidate indicators for assessment of early embryonic development. 2‐oxoglutaric acid mainly contributed to enhancing the citric cycle, and it plays an important role in improving the growth of chicken embryos at the late development; the decreasing of L‐glutamine, L‐isoleucine and L‐leucine contents from E19d to H1d in chicken embryonic development implied their possible functions as the feed additive during early posthatch period of broiler chickens to satisfy the growth. These results provided insights into understand the roles of serum metabolites at different developmental stages of chicken embryos, it also provides available information for chicken as a model to study metabolic disease or human obesity.     

Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the egg quality,immune response,zinc retention,and blood parameters of laying hens in the late phase of production

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs) on the performance, egg quality, Zn retention, immunity responses, superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), egg malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and serum parameters in laying hens in the late phase of production. A total of 288 laying hens at 64 weeks of age were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replicates, and 12 birds within each group. Experimental diets included a corn‐soybean meal‐based diet (without Zn supplementation) and a basal diet supplemented with 80 mg/kg of Zn‐oxide, ZnO‐NPs, and Zn‐methionine. The results indicated that egg production and egg mass were significantly higher in the Zn‐methionine and ZnO‐NPs groups (p < .05). Also, eggshell thickness and shell strength increased in the ZnO‐NPs group as compared with the other groups (p < .05). Moreover, Zn supplementation decreased egg loss (p < .05). There were significant differences among treatments in Zn deposition in tibiotarsus, liver, pancreas, eggs, and excreta (p < .01). Antibody titre, heterophil (%(, and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were significantly higher in birds fed with Zn‐supplemented diets (p < .05). In treatments supplemented with ZnO‐NPs and Zn‐methionine, the SOD activity in the liver, pancreas, and plasma was greater as compared with the other treatments (p < .05). The MDA content in eggs was significantly reduced in groups supplemented with Zn (p < .01). Moreover, dietary Zn supplementation significantly affected serum total protein, albumin, glucose, alkaline phosphatase activity, carbonic anhydrase activity, and Zn level (p < .05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with ZnO‐NPs can improve the performance of laying hens. Therefore, ZnO‐NPs can enhance zinc absorption in the intestine of aged layers and can be a more suitable source of zinc than regular Zn‐oxide in diets.     

Organic zinc and copper supplementation on antioxidant protective mechanism and their correlation with sperm functional characteristics in goats

Trace minerals feeding had significant effects on sperm production and fertility with better absorption and proper utilization within the body for optimum reproductive function. Several studies have shown that more influenced trace elements in the diets of animals are copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Bucks showing deficiency of this mineral might affect the quality of semen production which in turn would affect the fertility. This experiment was thus designed to test the effects of organic Cu and Zn supplementation on antioxidants enzyme activities and sperm functional attributes in fresh semen of bucks. Forty bucks (n = 40, Aged 5 months) were assigned to ten groups of four animals in each group, supplemented (for a period of 8 months) with different levels of organic Zn: 20 mg (T2), 40 mg (T3) and 60 mg (T4), organic Cu: 12.5 mg (T5), 25 mg (T6), 37.5 mg (T7) and combined organic Zn and Cu: 20 + 12.5 mg (T8), 40 + 25 mg (T9), 60 + 37.5 mg (T10), respectively, per kg dry matter and no additional mineral diet (control; T1). One hundred and sixty semen samples were collected through electro‐ejaculator and analysed for sperm quantity, quality, acrosome intactness and plasma membrane integrity and correlated with the catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzyme activities in seminal plasma. The results indicated organic Cu and zinc supplemented bucks produced more sperm cells, had higher sperm concentrations, maintained higher (p < .01) sperm livability, plasma membrane and acrosome integrities, more motility and velocity. The increased antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced oxidative stress and lowered lipid peroxidation were positively correlated (p < .05) with the sperm functional attributes. In conclusion, organic Cu and Zn supplement to male goats showed protective roles against oxidative damage and maintained better fresh semen characteristics.